Details:
Summary:
Print quality management has come a long way over the last three decades. Long- time print quality used to be entirely in the hands of the press operator. Thanks to standardization and better tools, print quality and consistency have significantly improved. And so did the expectations, the quality demands. Up to a point where one could question whether tight brand color tolerances like a maximum of 2 DE00, often pushed by some technology providers and color consultants, make sense.
The main reasons to question such tight tolerances: are the tools up to the task? Can we be objective about color perception? And, above all, do consumers care? Does anyone outside the print echo chamber care about this kind of deviation? In the printing industry, we like to believe that color is THE decisive element that will convince consumers to buy product A over B. And therefore that the brand color of product A has the be spot on, every time.
Based on several studies, experiments, and surveys, we have to conclude that some of the key tools are not up to the task. Furthermore, humans - especially professionals - are often not objective about color differences. Finally, consumers have a broad tolerance when it comes down to brand colors.
Although very controversial, it's a discussion we need to start.